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The UK Government published the PFAS Plan on the 3 February 2026, as promised in the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025. The Plan sets out a framework for understanding PFAS’s effects on the environment, implementing targeted restrictions, and developing regulatory guidance which we explore in more detail in this Insight.

The FCA is consulting on significant changes to how listed companies in the UK report on sustainability matters. The consultation closes on 20 March 2026, with the final rules expected in Autumn 2026. The new requirements will apply to financial years beginning on or after 1 January 2027. The proposals aim to replace the current TCFD-aligned disclosure framework with requirements based on the new UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS).

Summary: On Friday, January 30, 2026, Andrew Ferguson, the Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), sent warning letters to over 40 law firms about their purported involvement in the Mansfield Certification program, a diversity initiative pursuant to which law firms commit to considering diverse applicant pools. The warning letters characterize the Mansfield Certification program as an illegal collusion scheme, often referred to as a “hub and spoke” cartel. The current administration has used this type of “cartel” claim frequently. Several of us predicted last year (in the context of U.S. antitrust challenges to environmental sustainability initiatives) that the cartel type claims would be increasingly invoked. But significant challenges exist between these warning letters and legal action sufficient to withstand a motion to dismiss. Clients, whether law firms or other entities that participate in the Mansfield Certification program, should review their hiring practices to ensure that they are making independent hiring decisions, even if those actions parallel other firms’ decisions.

On 26 January 2026, the Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (“OFSI”) provided its clearest guidance yet on the baseline level of due diligence it expects businesses to undertake when assessing sanctions risks. Below we draw out the key compliance and due diligence considerations for businesses in light of OFSI’s penalty notice (the “Notice”) following the imposition of a £160,000 fine on a UK-registered bank (the “Bank”) for breaching the Russia (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (SI 2019/855) (the “Regulations”).